Why is cognitive ability associated with psychological distress and wellbeing? Exploring psychological, biological, and social mechanisms

This study examined whether associations between cognitive ability and mental health (depression, anxiety, psychological wellbeing) could be accounted for by different categories of risk factors: socioeconomic status, engagement in pleasant activities, coping/appraisal, social relationships, biological factors (inflammation, cortisol, heart-rate variability), reaction time. Participants were from the Midlife United States (n = 1744; mean age 54, range 25 to 84). Adjusting factors, or time had almost no influence on association health. activities attenuated with depression anxiety one-fourth; adjusting coping/appraisal one-third; status one-fifth. These attenuations larger positive affect life satisfaction. findings suggest that may partly explained cognitive-behavioral mechanisms protective status.